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celestialtarot11 · 9 days ago

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Kuja Dosha—Mars Affliction

Hey friends! I wanted to dig deeper into the significance of Kuja Dosha. Understanding your Mars placement is incredibly important, but also, how Mars on a bigger level plays into violent themes. I also want to take the time to explain Kuja Dosha in a historical context and cultural/religious. With all due respect these are observations from studies, and should not always be taken literally. Take it with a grain of salt.

This post can get heavy, so TW: Mentions of sexual abuse, concerning children, murders, death, kidnapping. I only ever include this to help raise awareness and astrology is a privilege--not a means to an end to justify anything. I also want to add I'll be adding in western astrology because I think it has helpful information to understand Mars itself here. There are similarities.

Kuja Dosha and why it is significant:

Kuja Dosha in Vedic astrology refers to the Mars placement being very active which includes several aspects and placements to diagnose this. Although these placements are sometimes viewed in a neutral light and even positive in western astrology, Vedic places the emphasis here that Mars signifies deep issues in a natives chart. This is not to say every Mars placement is considered Kuja Dosha. There must be strong aspects/placements to signify this.

Kuja Dosha is important to identify in a natives chart especially, because it can describe the lifestyle the native will experience, create, or struggle with. It can also speak of the past life the native experienced (if you believe in that) and what legacy, or experiences they are taking into this lifetime. It also signifies sexual abuse, misuse of power by authorities, parents, anyone who is considered authority. Often in a childs natives chart, looking to the Mars can help describe such violent acts done behind closed doors. It can also signify issues in relationships and marriage.

You can still have relationship issues without the influence of Kuja Dosha, and experience issues and losses. For example a malefic sun, Rahu/Ketu influence, and Saturn can cause delays and problems.

Moving onto a historical/religious understanding of this system, yes, it was a way to protect women in Hindu culture. Despite Mars' affliction in the charts, astrologers looked after women with Kuja Dosha realizing the system and men would most likely target them. So, by honoring the women, the astrologer made sure both partners had Kuja Dosha to nullify its effects, and both understood how to mitigate it by prayers and such. The brides family would be warned to hold on marriage as well, especially if the Kuja Dosha was strong. This was for the brides well-being. You might ask why the bride? Because Kuja Dosha affects primarily marriage, and relationships for the female, and it manifests differently based on gender. Men with Kuja Dosha were often perpetrators of abuse with Kuja Dosha.

And because of this highlight in charts, men were closely looked at in families to see their temperament if they'd hurt the bride who carried Kuja Dosha. So, to prevent early death, sudden sickness, and abuse of the bride, astrologers looked closely in both the spouses chart for compatibility if they should marry or not.

Mars Placement:

You must have Mars in the 1st, 2h, 4h, 7h, 8h, and 12h to suggest Kuja Dosha, but it not enough to say how strong Kuja Dosha is. Aspects, and reinforcements from the other planets to the 4h/12h/7/1h/8h/2h is very important here.

I would like to add: Kuja Dosha can also represent the failure of the system against women. Children especially. It involves the failure and mishandling of the patriarch system.

Mars 1h: Often in western astrology , this is described as the native experiencing a devastating loss or injury of the body. Mostly the legs, but not limited to. It is similar to Vedic as well. If Mars 1h is making an aspect to the 8h house which is considered harmful in Vedic, especially if it is a (square, opposition) the native can experience sudden mental/physical sickness, loss of money/status, objectification and sexualization at a young age. This is also an indicator to astrologers that the natives lifetime can be cut short. Mars 1h can be combative, fight in marriage, and defensiveness either from the native itself or both spouses (synastry is needed to see how both mars interact)

Mars 2h: This can create communication issues, either from the native, family members and partners. Abusive language can be used. This is more of a western astro take, but 2h is related to self esteem. The natives self esteem is especially harmed, boundaries are trespassed by those they could have trusted. Especially at a younger age trauma could have taken place. This can create a personality primed for abuse, if the native does not seek therapy and recovery. This can cause financial issues as well.

Mars 4h: Emotionally aggressive native but depends on the aspects. The native can be closed off to marriage, family life, and find ways to sabotage union. The native can become manipulative, or experience manipulation by others depending on mercury's positioning. For example, mars 4h square Saturn could have experienced turmoil in their own childhood. If Mars positively aspects a benefic like Mercury, it can bring a balanced, harmonious native in communication with their partner, despite the Kuja Dosha present. If the mercury is in detriment, fall, or negatively aspected, the native can express themselves aggressively, or shut down, only adding strength to the Kuja Dosha. Because Saturn already brings more tension. The mars native may not understand healthy family dynamics. Thus, the native is prone to anger and volatile behaviors.

Mars 7h: Mars here can create issues with in-laws and family members. This can represent either the native, or spouse using violence to control one another if negatively aspected. Intimidation tactics can be used. The native or spouse may enjoy a dramatic display depending what sign the house falls in, and aspects. Or this can continue behind closed doors for years with Saturns influence, Capricorn/Aquarius, Rahu/Ketu (NN, SN) It can also suggest divorce. Mars in the 7h is also called Maraka, because this is the house Mars dies in. Mars does not function well here, according to Vedic astrology and causes serious implications. This creates division as Mars wants to be alone, but since Maraka is at work here, this can also signify the native struggles with codependency. It strips the native of his or her own boundaries.

Mars 12h: This can create financial stress, and internal instability. This stress is more so internal and the process the native goes through to heal and struggle is often done in isolation, or privacy. If a native child carries this placement with strong Kuja Dosha, it can mean the parents pressure the child to keep silent about their struggles, thus making them carry this stress internally. This can unfold negatively, if Mars is not aspected properly or enough. Meaning, Mars may have one aspect or none, thus making the energy volatile and combustive. This can land the native in psych hospitals, prison, and they are prone to addiction. And still, this can happen if Mars has a lot of negative aspects too.

If mars is negatively aspected in the houses above, it can signify a misuse of power by the parents especially the father. If the house mars falls in is Cancer, Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus, or arguably Leo, it is not good. The father figure/authority figure/s is more likely to hide and not admit to such crimes. Mars in cancer is in a fall state, which weakens the morality of the authority figures, and makes them cowardly. Mars in Taurus is in detriment, and often the native is used like a possession, or a way to gain fame, recognition, or money. While Mars in Aquarius often points to the authority figure displaying a wolf in sheep's clothing behavior, behaving morally just in front the camera. Scorpio represents the power imbalance with authority, stripping the native of choices and freedom. Leo represents power, greed, pride hidden behind family doors and could explain the native being used for publicity, and exploitation. Leo can suggest sexualization, and objectification. Often times, Leo can signify the authority figure/s making it look as if there is a happy home, hiding dark secrets.

In Vedic, we can take this way of thinking as well: if there is an imbalance with the 1h and 8h, and the 8h has a stronger presence can indicate sickness, struggles and endings.

For example: Scorpio rising, weakly aspected in the 1h, and Mars conj. Jupiter 8h in detriment. Even though Jupiter is seen as good luck here at first glance, its effects become very weak in the 8h. Mars is also in Kuja Dosha, and instead of Jupiter helping, it is in detriment because of the sign. Therefore, Jupiter can't help mitigate Mars malefic energy the way it should. The 8h is stronger than the effects of the 1h.

However, Mars gets nullified or weakened if:

Mars 12h/4h/8h/7h/2h is in positive contact with Venus, moon, Jupiter and Mercury, and the benefics itself are well supported. Mars is about to exit out of the 1h, 4h, 7h, 8h, 12h so check the degrees.

If you have a benefic touching Mars, even though Mars itself has another harsh aspect, this balances the Kuja Dosha.

If both partners have Kuja Dosha it gets mitigated.

It is important to check all contact with Mars. Check the aspects, which planets are affecting it, houses, and signs. Check the benefics that make contact to your Mars, its ruler and which house it lands if its detriment/fall this will affect the strength of Mars.

There is another rule that Mars in its own Taurus/Libra is considered harmless, or weak, however, studying charts I realized this is not always the case. Especially when Rahu/Ketu is conj. Mars, or Saturn is aspecting Mars 12h, 1h, 7h, 2h, 4h, 8h it can bring violent implications, sickness, and trauma. Even if you have the presence of Venusian ruled signs, this is not enough to mitigate Mars strength and power simply.

Even if Jupiter 8h/12h/1h/2h/4h/7h is where Mars is, this can be considered “good luck,” but this is not always the case. First, there is Kuja Dosha present in the house of money, wealth (2h) and Jupiter can be mistaken for wealth here. If Jupiter is negatively aspected, in detriment/fall, it can bring issues, and not necessarily bring empowerment, wealth, or money, even though Jupiter is considered the protector.

Jupiter is known for mitigating malefic energy when sitting in the same house as Mars or malefics, even without forming direct contact with Mars or malefics. But since Jupiter is weak in the example above, Mars gets the upper hand bringing financial stress and issues in family. Same rule applies with the Moon, Venus, Mercury if placed in the houses listed above.

Another example of this, is when Mars sits in the 7h suggesting Kuja Dosha. Upon closer look, we understand this is actually amplified because Saturn is square Mars 7h, bringing separation, distance, and coldness in the approach to relationships, or partners being cold. Saturn is malefic as well. This can bring unjust behavior from the court in legal proceedings, and unfairness. The native can be shunned by the law, even though they are innocent. The law can also be cold, ruthless, and deny bail or probation. Instead of the native being heard they are dismissed. The law can favor the perpetrator instead, because of Mars strength and influence.

In the D9 chart, Mars 8h/12h/1h/2h/4h/7h also points to a very strong Kuja Dosha, reinforcing what was seen in the natal chart.

This is more of western take, but Mars 8h aspecting only Uranus becomes very unstable, difficult and hard for the native. Mars energy is heavily unbalanced and has no support of benefics. This energy is particularly tense when squared, giving a volatile, impulsive and reckless nature to the native person. This can also describe mental anguish, and life experiences that deeply hurt the native.

Another western take, Uranus 8h can signify even greater issues, even when retrograde. It can signify sudden changes, death, loss of a loved one, or suggest darker themes of childhood like kidnapping or disappearances.

That being said, if the benefics are well aspected in the 12h/1h/2h/4h/7h/8h, there is a much better chance of the native succeeding. (Given that the 1h is not weak, and benefics rulers are well placed and aspected well) So, always check the strength of the placements.

Another thing to takeaway, Kuja Dosha never works in isolation. It's not enough to look at a Mars 12h, Mars 8h and say that is Kuja Dosha. It can suggest a need for a deeper look, but depending on the other placements, aspects, this can either uplift Mars or add to the mayhem. Lots of us have mars aspects and so, not everyone will have Kuja Dosha.

Thank you for reading friends! Do let me know if this was informative and your thoughts or opinions :) I'm open to hearing as long as it is respectful and open minded.

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wilderebellion · 7 days ago

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An endorsement of Dropout's Dimension 20 calendars, for less obvious reasons:

1) Wirebound for easier flipping to the new month, and printed on something like card stock you can actually write on. No thin and glossy paper sheets to be found here.

2) Do you forget to flip the calendar when a new months starts in the middle of a week? NOT ANYMORE. Each "month" is allotted 5 weeks of space. What would be BLANK spaces in an 'average' calendar is marked with the dates of the surrounding months, so you have the full week at a glance even before flipping.

For example, January 2025 starts on a Wednesday, so the first Sunday through Tuesday indicate December 29-31. January itself ends on Friday the 31st, so the last Saturday on the January page is February 1.

3) Inclusive Holidays! These vary from religious and cultural observances (including but not limited to Jewish, Hindu, and Muslim) to commemmorating notable figures. Solstices and equinoxes are marked, as well as monthly celebrations for heritage and cultural awareness. They even took the time to mark when a date is "tentative" for a particular celebration, rather than leave it out entirely from the printing.

4) Deep Cuts: Only a couple of them, but there are some dates based on Dropout content (like when Kingston Brown made pancakes)

5) You get an EXTRA month (with extra art)! Just in case you didn't grab a new calendar before the new year: the 2024 calendar includes the month of January 2025, and same for 2025's with January 2026.

#dropout #dimension 20

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talonabraxas · 8 months ago

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Varuthini Ekadashi 2024: Date, parana time, puja rituals, history and significance of the festival

Varuthini Ekadashi, also known as Baruthani Ekadashi, marks a sacred day in Hindu tradition, occurring on the 11th lunar day (Ekadashi) of the waning moon in the Hindu months of Chaitra or Vaishakha. Falling in either April or May by both lunar calendars, this day holds significance as devotees honour Vamana, the fifth avatar of Vishnu. Ekadashi is revered as an auspicious time for fasting, particularly dedicated to worshipping Lord Vishnu. Devotees consider Ekadashi an auspicious day for fasting and engaging in various religious rituals to pay homage to Vishnu. Throughout the year, there are a total of 24 Ekadashi observances, with two occurring each month during Shukla Paksha and Krishna Paksha lunar phases, each carrying its unique significance and associated stories.

Varuthini Ekadashi 2024 Date and Time

This year, the significant Hindu occasion of Varuthini Ekadashi will be observed on Saturday, May 4. According to Drik Panchang, the auspicious timings to observe the festival are as follows:

Ekadashi Tithi Begins - 23:24 PM on May 03, 2024

Ekadashi Tithi Ends - 20:38 PM on May 04, 2024

Parana Time- 06:05 to 08:35 AM, May 05

On Parana Day Dwadashi End Moment - 17:41 PM

Varuthini Ekadashi Significance

Ekadashi has deep religious significance in Hindu culture, with Varuthini Ekadashi being a notable occasion. Falling in the month of Vaishakha according to the Purnimanta calendar and in Chaitra according to the Amavasyant calendar, it is widely observed in South India. Devotees observe strict fasting on this auspicious day and devote themselves to the worship of Lord Vishnu. Puja ceremonies and various religious activities are performed with reverence.

Many devotees engage in spiritual practices such as dhyan yoga and meditation, and some observe maun vrat (silence) for the day to attain inner peace and tranquillity. Varuthini Ekadashi is also known as Baruthani Ekadashi. On this occasion, prayers are offered to the Vamana avatar of Lord Vishnu, who is believed to protect those who observe the fast diligently from negative energies and evil influences.

Paramatma in all hearts

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opencommunion · 8 months ago

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The geopolitics of labor: Israel's quest to replace Palestinian workers with Indians

"Canadian immigration attorney Aidan Simardone, speaking to The Cradle, compares the situation to historical colonial practices in North America where marginalized European religious groups, like the Puritans, were brought in to service colonial interests.

Israel, he points out, is adopting a similar strategy by recruiting economically disadvantaged Hindu Indians from regions like Uttar Pradesh, aiming to manage demographic and political challenges seamlessly. 'The move is also an attempt by Israel to pull the rug out from under one of the thorns on the side of colonialism. Colonialism requires squeezing blood out of a stone, yet this squeezing depends on the sweat and tears of those who are at the bottom of the barrel.'

Simardone notes the inherent risks for the colonizer in relying entirely on an indigenous labor force, as workers will rebel when colonialism reveals its true nature.

'To steer clear of this predicament, colonizers bring in labor from other parts. These laborers are often pushed to the sidelines as well, but unlike the Indigenous population, they go with the flow rather than swimming against the tide when it comes to the colonial project.'

... A Haaretz report claims that Indian candidates seeking work in Israel were, in many cases, made aware that the jobs were not available to Muslim Indians, a move that undermined the rights of the Muslim minority in India.

Simardone explains that Islam is seen as a mutual threat by the right-wing ethnocentric regime currently leading Israel and Hindutva-dominated India: 'For both countries, the very existence of Muslims undermines their fascist ethnonationalism, which seeks to build a country solely for Jews in Israel and Hindus in India. That is primarily the reason that job recruiters in India who are posting positions in Israel have specifically required Hindus and excluded Muslims, who are more likely to sympathize with the plight of Palestinians.' ... However, the partnership faces criticism domestically, especially concerning the program to shift thousands of workers into an insecure environment. The Construction Workers Federation of India (CWFI) has voiced strong opposition to sending Indian laborers to Israel, arguing that such actions tacitly support Israel’s controversial policies in Palestine.

The association reflects the views of a much broader Indian worker demographic who naturally reject collaboration with an oppressive occupation state that so clearly exploits the Palestinian working class. Instead, CWFI has urged New Delhi to leverage its diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv to advocate for the observance of UN resolutions and to reconsider Israel’s labor-import demands."

#palestine #zionism #hindutva #colonialism #imperialism

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magnetothemagnificent · 1 year ago

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What does "Once a Jew, always a Jew" mean? Does that mean you cannot "stop" being Jewish? You have people proudly calling themselves ex-Christian, Ex-Hindu or ex-Muslim and oftentimes they don't want anything to do with religion and/or spirituality. Or Judaism nature as an ethnoreligion changes that?

Judaism is an ethnoreligion, so even if a Jew stops being religious and/or observant, they're still a Jew. Even if they convert to another religion, they're still Jewish. There is such a thing as heresy in Judaism (the parameters to being a heretic are very strict), but even heretics are merely exiled from their communities (or even the Afterlife), but they're still Jewish. If you're born a Jew, you're a Jew forever. If you convert to Judaism, you're a Jew forever. You can leave the greater Jewish community, but you can't just stop being Jewish.

#jumblr #Judaism #jewish identity #once a jew always a jew

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blue-lotus333 · 5 months ago

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What are Nuns?

Nuns are a member of a religious community of women, especially a cloistered one, living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

They dedicate their lives to religious observance. Most nuns spend their time praying or meditating and doing service work in their communities.

Nuns in different religions 👇

Nuns in Christianity.

Nuns and sisters in Christianity belong to various religious institutes, each with its own charism. Both take vows, pray, do religious services/contemplations & live modestly. Nuns traditionally recite the full Divine Office in church throughout the day, while lay sisters perform maintenance or errands outside the cloister. Externs, who live outside the enclosure, may also assist with tasks.

Nuns in Buddhism.

Buddhist nuns, called bhikkhunis, mostly live under disciplined & mindfulness. They share important vows, offer teachings on Buddhist scriptures, conduct ceremonies, teach meditation, offer counseling, & receive alms. Bhikkhunis are expected to go against the materialistic values, focusing instead on spiritual aims outlined by the Buddha. They adhere to specific precepts guiding their behavior/lifestyle, which vary based on tradition & monastery.

Nuns in Hinduism.

Hindu nuns, also called sanyasini, sadhavi or swamini, practice a monastic life of religious devotion by living simple lives of study, meditation & prayer. Some nuns seclude themselves in Hindu communities while others wander from place to place spreading the teachings of their faith, all their actions are directed as a service to Brahman. Hinduism teaches followers to respect these nuns for renouncing material things.

Nuns in Taoism.

Taoist nuns typically lived in temples known as guan, Celibacy was associated with early Taoist schools. They are solitary practitioners who take modesty & Clarity. In the Shangqing School, Taoist nuns are called nü daoshi or nüguan. their daily schedule included chanting scriptures, community work, and individual practices, including inner alchemical exercises.

Nuns in Shintoism.

Shinto nuns are called miko, or shrine maiden, they’re young nuns who work at shrines & heavily worship Shinto Kami (gods). Miko were once likely seen as shamans & priestesses but they are understood in modern Japanese culture to have an institutionalized role in daily life, trained to perform tasks, ranging from sacred cleansing to performing the sacred Kagura dance.

Nuns in Jainism.

Jain nuns are known as Aryika, or as Sadhvi. Aryikas (sadhvis) mostly meditate near Vrindavan, India. In Samavasarana of the Tirthankara, aryikas sit in the third hall. The Aryikas lead a simple life, with few possessions, and consider the world their family. They live in small groups and dedicate their days to meditation, study, carefulness & extreme compassion.

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haggishlyhagging · 2 years ago

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In early patriarchy, women's ancient community tasks were turned into slave labor. Women produced the surplus products on which men based their secular power and control. In the next stage of economic development these slave tasks became the industrial occupations of the workers, while the ruling men (and their "wives") were exempt from labor. The ruling men reserved for themselves the "manly" occupations of war, hunting, sport, and priestly observances—while "workers" kept the world going. Women's forced labor, and later working-class labor, freed elite males to become lawyers, judges, doctors, artists, priests, and warriors—specialized, privileged occupations that all others are barred from. And whole bodies of law, religious doctrine, and custom are then assembled to forcibly maintain these men in these positions of power. Patriarchal law, often called "the Will of God," is in fact a wholly secular cynical legal system designed purposely to maintain male power through institutional control of female energy. Under patriarchal legal, religious, and economic-social systems, some men dominate others. But all men benefit from their organized domination of the community of women.

Which is no longer a community. Patriarchy breaks up the female collective by forcibly capturing and imprisoning each woman's female energy within the patrilocal family. Within this isolation cell, each woman's creative energy becomes servant energy, directed and owned by men. In the Hindu Code of Manu—typical of all patriarchal family law—the woman must never be free, from birth to death, of subjugation to a male relative. She passes from the guardianship of her father, to that of her husband, and finally to her oldest son. They control her education, her property, the total disposal of her mind and body, in life and in death. The ignobility of this male obsession with control is equalled only by its effectiveness. Under the Code of Manu, the Hindu woman becomes a nonperson. The breaking up of the powerful ancient women's collectives was the only way by which men could have broken women's strength and independence—but still keep a vaguely living body around to do the dirty work in bed and bathroom. What better way to turn the Great Goddess into a sex-serf than by isolating each individual woman, keeping her under total control within the male-dominated and defined family household—where she is never allowed freedom of movement, of thought, of desire—where her body, her mind, her labor, and her children are seen as property, wealth belonging to the man. Where the only thing she can do with her sex-serfdom is pass it on conscientiously to her daughters.

-Monica Sjöö and Barbara Mor. The Great Cosmic Mother: Rediscovering The Religion of the Earth.

#monica sjöö #Barbara mor #patriarchy #female oppression #nuclear family #class oppression

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astrowitch-38 · 5 months ago

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Panchang

The first thing I learned in astrology was how to read the Panchang. It is a crucial aspect of astrology. A "Panchang" (also spelled "Panchanga" or "Panchangam") is a traditional Hindu calendar used in Indian astrology. It provides detailed information about the daily astronomical and astrological conditions and is used to determine auspicious times for various activities and rituals. A Panchang typically includes the following elements: Tithi: The lunar day, which is a phase of the moon. Each month has multiple Tithis, and they help determine the timing of festivals and religious observances. Vara: The day of the week, named after a specific planet. For example, Sunday is associated with the Sun, Monday with the Moon, and so on. Nakshatra: The lunar constellation or star that the moon is passing through on a given day. There are 27 Nakshatras, each with its own significance in astrology. Yoga: A combination of the positions of the Sun and Moon. There are 27 Yogas in a Panchang, and they influence the auspiciousness of the day. Karana: Half of a Tithi. There are 11 Karanas, and they are used to determine specific times for activities. The Panchang is used by Hindus for planning important events, such as weddings and religious ceremonies, ensuring they align with auspicious times according to astrological principles.

#vedic astrology #natal chart #astrology #astro tumblr #jyotish #astro posts #astro observations #astro notes

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smosh-fessions · 5 days ago

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Hot take but I 100% believe Chanse is on the spectrum and undiagnosed. It would explain a lot of his behaviors. Look at him in talking videos where he doesn't move/blink for minutes, recoils at physical touch he doesn't expect, wildly different vibes depending on the video(either he looks sleepy or he's tweaking) or how he seems to not relate to a lot of basic human experiences. I think he's one of the funnier members but it sometimes feels like he's an alien on set. Or maybe it's just drugs, either way I hope he gets the help he needs tbh

I'm wary of posting this, but I do want to address some things. You really sound like you have good intentions, but some of this is bothering me a little bit. I don't know if you're autistic yourself, but some of the way you've written this comes off at least a little ableist in my opinion.

Being on the spectrum doesn't necessarily mean you need "help" in the way someone struggling with something like magor depressive disorder would. We all need accommodations in life but saying someone needs help because they're autistic rehashes the unfortunately common idea that there's something inherently wrong with us or that we can be cured.

Comparing autistics to those using drugs is not... Great. To me, at least, it feels kind of dehumanizing because of both the stigma surrounding drug use/addiction and autism itself. Not every slightly odd behavior is drugs or neurodivergence. Some people are just a little strange.

Same goes for alien. It's one thing for an autistic person to call themselves that, but alien and robot have been used as a means of dehumanization for years.

Some people just space out and don't like to be touched. That doesn't mean they're neurodivergent, and caffeine is a factor in the vibe changes you're talking about. The Smoffice basically has a river of coffee in it at this point and we know they drink a lot of it.

On the topic of basic human experiences, we can't forget that Chanse is a little freaking nerd (and I mean that so lovingly) and us nerds often keep to ourselves and do our own thing. From what I've gathered, he seems to have been sheltered and if I remember correctly, he grew up in one of those strict churches where things like tithing were deeply important. A lot of kids who grow up in strict religious environments, even if it wasn't for their whole childhood, don't get to have a lot of experiences that other people do. There are likely things he missed out on due to growing up religious for whatever period of time that he was in that situation. (We know he at least grew up in some western religion based on the Church Fun word game where he, Angela, and Amanda were the only ones who had experience with it as opposed to Arasha who likely was raised Hindu if anything and was just along for the ride)

I don't think there's anything wrong with wondering if someone is neurodivergent, whether it's autism or something else, especially because it's always exciting to see someone acting in a manner you relate to. However, the way you've described all of this feels less like that and more like an observation on an experiment and it doesn't sit great with me.

Again, I don't think you have any sort of ill intentions with this, but I do ask that you be more conscious of the language you use to describe things like this.

If Chanse is autistic or some other flavor of ND, great! There's always room in the club. If he's not, also great!

I will agree he has seemed a little off recently and I do hope that whatever it is that may be bothering him gets resolved because I want him to feel happy and healthy.

#smosh #smoshblr #smosh confessions #smosh confession #commentary →#I hope this all made sense to everyone. Long answers can get jumbled for me #Chanse mccrary #neurodivergence

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mariacallous · 7 months ago

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India is in the middle of a 44-day exercise to elect its next government, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi tipped to return his Bharatiya Janata Party to power for a third consecutive term. Modi, who aims to win nearly three-quarters of the country’s 543 parliamentary seats, has surprised many observers by using dehumanizing anti-Muslim language on the campaign trail—rhetoric that is more direct than that of his past speeches.

So far, the BJP campaign has focused on creating an irrational fear among India’s Hindu majority that if Modi doesn’t return as prime minister, a share of their private wealth and affirmative action job quotas will be given to Indian Muslims. Modi and his party have doubled down on this narrative at a moment when reports suggest that their quest for a supermajority is unlikely to succeed. The brazen continuation of such anti-Muslim rhetoric differentiates this campaign from the two others that have put Modi in the prime minister’s office.

Hate speech is a criminal offense in India, and it is specifically barred during an election campaign. However, Modi chose the three leaders of India’s Election Commission, the agency charged with conducting free and fair polls, and it has ignored his flagrant violations of the election code. As a result, as the campaign continues through the end of May, so too will Modi’s anti-Muslim tirades. India is expected to announce its election results on June 4.

If the BJP wins and Modi is once again crowned prime minister, his Islamophobic rhetoric will not simply disappear. Many political leaders campaign in poetry and govern in prose, but hateful rhetoric has real-life consequences. Modi’s campaign speeches have put a target on Indian Muslims’ backs, redirecting the anger of poor and marginalized Hindu communities away from crony capitalists and the privileged upper castes. It underscores an attempt to make members of the Muslim minority second-class citizens in a de facto Hindu Rashtra, or state.

These social schisms need only a small spark to burst into communal violence, which would damage India’s global status and growth. Furthermore, Modi’s campaign rhetoric is matched by the BJP’s choice to not put up candidates in Muslim-majority Kashmir, reducing its stake in ensuring robust democracy in a region that New Delhi has ruled directly since 2019. His language will also have a direct bearing on India’s fraught ties with its neighbor Pakistan. Finally, the state-backed ill treatment will likely not be limited to Indian Muslims—meaning that other religious minorities, such as Christians and Sikhs, will also be affected.

Around 200 million Muslims live in India—the second-largest Muslim population in the world, after that of Indonesia. Few mainstream Indian political leaders have plummeted to such depths in castigating these citizens. Modi’s campaign rhetoric makes clear that if he is elected to a third consecutive term, the nation’s Muslims will stand politically disempowered, economically marginalized, and deprived of their constitutional rights.

Modi’s political rise came in the wake of significant violence against Muslims in Gujarat in 2002, when he was the state’s chief minister. Due to his role in the violence, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States all temporarily barred his entry. Leading the party’s campaign to victory in the state assembly in the same year, his campaign speeches were full of crude language against Muslims. But the BJP’s electoral success in Gujarat—winning the next two assembly elections before the launch of Modi’s national campaign—ultimately gave Modi political credibility within an extreme fringe of the party.

By 2011, Modi had started reinventing himself as a business-friendly leader with an eye on a national role. By the time he became prime minister three years later, the narrative of a so-called Gujarat model of economic development concealed his anti-Muslim ideological moorings. Modi’s mask slipped occasionally, but he often spoke with a dog whistle. Mostly, the prime minister reiterated an imagination of India as a Hindu nation. In a post-9/11 world, Modi presented an alternative model of battling Islamic terrorism and consolidated a Hindu majoritarian voter base—delivering a stunning election victory in 2019 after an attempted airstrike against an alleged terrorist training camp inside Pakistan.

This year, Modi has not campaigned on his track record of the past decade or on the party manifesto for the next five years as often as he has attempted to further polarize Hindus and Muslims. In a speech given on April 21, Modi suggested that the opposition Indian National Congress party, if elected, would redistribute property to Muslims. The party would “calculate the gold with [Hindu] mothers and sisters” and transfer it “among those who are infiltrators and have more children,” he said—using terms by which his supporters regularly describe Muslims.

Elsewhere, Modi alleged that Congress was helping Muslims in a plot to take over India: “The opposition is asking Muslims to launch vote jihad,” he said in March. Speaking at a rally in Madhya Pradesh in early May, Modi said that voters would have to choose between “vote jihad” and “Ram Rajya,” the latter being a term referring to a mythical, idealized society that purportedly existed during the rule of Lord Rama, the hero of the famous Hindu epic Ramayana.

The prime minister’s economic advisory council soon released a paper that sought to stoke anxieties about a decline in the proportion of Hindus in India; during the period it covered—1950 to 2015—India’s population actually increased by five Hindus for every one Muslim citizen, but BJP leaders soon deployed the report to further demonize Indian Muslims.

The party’s official messaging has echoed Modi’s rhetoric. A now-deleted video posted on the Instagram account for the BJP’s Karnataka branch this month said, “If you are a non-Muslim, Congress will snatch your wealth and distribute it to Muslims. Narendra Modi knows of this evil plan. Only he has the strength to stop it.” It was followed by an animated clip depicting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hatching a plan to benefit Muslims at the expense of Hindu groups.

Other Indian democratic institutions have done no better. Despite formal complaints from opposition parties and civil society groups, the election commission has neither punished nor restrained Modi. A petition in the Delhi High Court seeking immediate action against Modi for his “communally divisive speeches” was dismissed, with the judges arguing that it was “without merit” because the commission was already looking into the matter. “We can’t presume that they won’t do anything,” one judge said. But as the elections near the finish line, that is precisely what has happened.

Some observers are likely to dismiss Modi’s recent language as par for the course during an election campaign, when tempers run high. However, most surveys and polls have predicted an easy victory for the prime minister and the BJP; he has no need to resort to pandering to base emotions with toxic rhetoric. In an interview, Modi denied that he had uttered a word against Indian Muslims; he was proved wrong by fact-checkers and video evidence. India’s top political scientist said that through his denials in interviews, Modi is trying to influence the naive chroniclers while he continues with his anti-Muslim speeches for the masses and his supporters. Modi’s No. 2, Amit Shah, insists that the party will continue with this anti-Muslim campaign. By persisting with hateful speech, the BJP leadership is fueling a narrative that is likely to intensify discrimination against Indian Muslims during Modi’s rule.

As prime minister, Modi has spearheaded a project for the political disempowerment of Indian Muslims. For the first time in the history of independent India, the ruling party does not have a single Muslim member of parliament. In the current election, the party has put up just one Muslim candidate—on a list of 440—who is running for an unwinnable seat in Kerala. More broadly, religious polarization has made it difficult for Muslim candidates to win seats in areas without an overwhelming Muslim majority. During recent elections, there have been complaints of authorities barring voters in Muslim-majority localities in BJP-ruled states. Modi’s message to Indian Muslims is unequivocal: You do not matter politically.

India’s Muslims are economically disadvantaged, too. A 2006 committee under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Congress government found that the Muslim community faced high levels of poverty and poor outcomes on almost all socioeconomic indicators. India’s opposition parties have promised a new socioeconomic survey that could inform future policy without a focus on religion. Modi’s government, by contrast, opted to not conduct even the regular census in 2021—the first such instance in 140 years—due to COVID-19; it has not been conducted since.

Rather than relying on data, Modi and his supporters prefer an emotional response that pitches poor and marginalized Hindus against Muslims. India is a highly unequal country: About 90 percent of the population earns less than the average income of $2,800 per year. This gap has widened under Modi, with the richest 1 percent now owning 40 percent of India’s wealth. By othering Muslims, Modi puts them at risk of becoming the object of other deprived groups’ ire, which could lead to further communal violence. A Muslim man was allegedly lynched in Gujarat during the current election campaign, without making national headlines.

Islamophobia is at the core of the project to make India a Hindu state. Modi and the BJP frequently weaponize terrorism discourse to delegitimize critics and political opposition. In Kashmir, where the BJP is not running candidates this election, this tactic has fueled anger and hostility. The high turnout in the region seems to be an expression of rage against Modi’s 2019 decision to revoke its semi-autonomous status. When the ruling party leaders conflate Islam with terrorism, there is little chance of extending any hand of peace toward Pakistan, either. Modi and his ministers have vowed to take back Pakistan-administered Kashmir by force if necessary—no matter the grave risk of conflict between two nuclear-armed countries.

Finally, Modi’s rhetoric does not bode well for other religious minorities in India. In the border state of Manipur, the largely Christian Kuki community has suffered state-backed majoritarian violence for more than a year. In Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populated state, Christian priests and worshippers are being jailed, beaten, and threatened by both Hindu majoritarian groups and state police. Meanwhile, the BJP has demonized the Sikh farmers who led protests against agricultural laws in 2020 and 2021, labeling them as separatist Khalistani terrorists. (Last year, Modi’s government was accused of involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada as well as in an attempted assassination in New York.)

Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians are India’s biggest religious minorities; they make up nearly one-fifth of the country’s population. To disempower these groups would spell the end of the historical bond between India and ideas of universal justice, human rights, and democracy. A majoritarian Indian state—a Hindu Rashtra—would instead make a covenant with bigotry, discrimination, and violence. The bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has repeatedly asked Washington to blacklist Modi’s government for its suppression of religious freedom, but the Biden administration has refused to act so far.

However, the evidence is there for all to see—and Modi has further substantiated the charge of bigotry with his campaign speeches targeting Indian Muslims. No matter if the BJP achieves its supermajority, this rhetoric will have significant consequences for India. Modi is serving a warning. The world should take note before it is too late.

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